• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / The Wayback Collector: Early Sports Card Documents Pre-War Autograph Seeking

The Wayback Collector: Early Sports Card Documents Pre-War Autograph Seeking

June 22, 2021 By Anson Whaley

Autograph collecting is quite popular among collectors these days. And the activity is so common that it’s even been depicted on cards themselves through the years. That’s right, start back in the 1970s and you can find plenty of cards picturing players signing autographs. The topic’s even been covered before online.

Here’s the thing, though. Baseball card photography has gotten increasingly more innovative over the years. Topps, Fleer, and Donruss did their part in the 1980s and Upper Deck took things to another level. Since their inception, photography has gotten increasingly more unique.

But it wasn’t always that way. In early years, many baseball cards didn’t even utilize real photography. A great many were drawings or lithographic depictions of players. Even when cards did start utilizing real photography, creativity was somewhat muted. Many cards were simple portrait or action shots of players hitting, throwing, or fielding.

Other cards of athletes signing autographs in the pre-war era probably exist but it wasn’t something I can recall seeing — a real athlete offering their signatures to fans. But as I fumbled through the cards of a recent purchase, I was surprised to see a star women’s tennis player pictured signing for fans. The image struck me as somewhat of a unique one.

About the Set

The card is from the somewhat obscure Deutscher Sport set — one of the numerous, multi-sport German sets of the 1930s. Cards are printed with full color, glossy fronts with white borders and matte black and white backs. They measure 2″ wide by 2 7/16″ tall and both horizontal and vertical images are used. These square-like cards mimicked the rough shape of many of the 1930s American gum cards but these measured smaller and were thinner. Like many international tobacco cards from the 1930s, these are often found in excellent condition.

Collectors seem to vary on its exact year of issuance, though that appears to be sometime between 1934 and 1936. Similar to many American Tobacco Company sets, the cards are found with numerous advertising backs. The German tobacco card was issued for at least four popular different cigarette brands, including Jasmatzi, Josetti, Bulgaria, and Salem. While not well known in the U.S., they were quite popular overseas and all of those brands distributed other popular German tobacco cards.

The set was a fairly large one, consisting of a total of 286 cards. As mentioned, it was a multi-sport release covering hockey, golf, boxing, tennis, soccer, and much more. The sport most represented in it, however, was track and field. The set focused quite a bit on athletes participating in the Olympic Games and that subset makes up the largest group.

The set is often ignored because it is devoid of major stars for the most part. Boxing Hall of Famer Max Schmeling is found in it, but even the major stars presented are mostly in minor sports that are less collected. The hockey and golf cards are popular but specific athletes are not named on them. And given the fact that the set is nearly 90 years old, many of the names, like Horn, have been long since forgotten.

Sign Here, Please

The tobacco card in question here pictures a female tennis player named Marie-Louise Horn. Horn was a somewhat popular tennis player in the 1930s and a pretty good one at that. Few collectors have probably heard of her today but she excelled in both singles and doubles play.

She never won a major championship but went deep into several big time tournaments, including Wimbledon and the French Open. As a doubles player, she reached the finals of the French Open in 1937. Horn was ranked as high as No. 8 in the world during her career as a quality player and while most collectors are not aware of her, she was obviously quite good. Her signing autographs for fans is not terribly surprising — but that it was captured on a card is.

Horn is the player, but what about the card?

The card features a color picture of Horn signing autographs for a group of young fans. If there was any ambiguity about what she is doing in the picture, the back clears it up.

Unfortunately the text on the back is written in German. On top of that, it uses a weird font style known as fraktur. While uncommon here in the U.S., the font was popular in other German issues, including the more well-known 1930s Sanella and Astra Margarine multi-sport sets. The distinguishing characteristic of the font is that is a fancy type of script and it’s often difficult to read.

Still, once you make out the actual text, the back is roughly translated to the following:

“Rush to the Celebrities. Marie-Louise Horn has to give autographs.”

The rest of the back is an advertisement for the cards and the specific cigarette brand. This particular card back shown here is for Josetti cigarettes but a Horn card would exist for the other tobacco brands, too. Backs of the cards also include the Deutscher Sport name at the top as well as a card number. Horn’s particular card is No. 112 in the set.

It’s just a very cool card with an image you don’t see often in the pre-war era — a real live athlete signing autographs for fans.

Rarity and Pricing

If you’re looking for Horn in general, you won’t find her on many cards. She is also in the 1930s Garbaty Cigarettes set, a hodgepodge of mostly female athletes and actresses. But that card is easier to find than this one.

The Deutscher Sport cards are not terribly common — even on sites like eBay. You will usually find some listings there but Horn’s card is often not among those listed. The Salem cards appear to be the toughest of the four but there are not typically premiums offered for any of them simply because few collectors can tell which cards are rarer and which are easier to locate. All of the cards are typically treated as equals, even if that isn’t necessarily true.

The good news is that if one is found, it is generally an inexpensive card. In good condition in the open market, you can typically find it in the $5-$10 range.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

The Wayback Collector: Pop Report Comparisons of Pre-War and Post-War Vintage 1916 blank back Babe Ruth rookie cardThe Wayback Collector: Mount Rushmore of Vintage Cards Wayback Collector: Pre-War Autograph Market Not Likely To Be The Same After T206 Forgeries Christy Mathewson T202 Hassan Triple FoldersCollectors Showing Interest in Individual T202 Hassan Triple Folder Panels 1909 Dockman Set Easiest of Four E92 Options for Collectors 1915 E106 American Caramel Set A Throwback To E90-1 and E92 Issues T206 Ty Cobb greenMost Watched T206 Baseball Cards on eBay Babe Ruth M101-5 rookieM101-5 Babe Ruth Rookie Hits eBay

About Anson Whaley

Anson Whaley is a contributor to Sports Collectors Daily and has been an avid pre-war and vintage card collector for more than 20 years. He manages a pre-war sports card blog and database at www.prewarcards.com . You can email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter @PreWarCards.

Filed Under: Sports Card News, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1930s, Deutscher Sport, Marielouise Horn, pre-War cards, Tennis cards, The Wayback Collector

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • REA Midwest Consignment Trip – Consign Today
  • MEARS Auction of Memorabilia and More Ends October 7, 2023
  • 2023 Auction Schedule

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window